1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the production of slide fasteners, and more particularly to an apparatus for supplying sliders successively to a slider-threading station where each slider is threaded onto a pair of slide fastener stringers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,337,877 issued July 6, 1982 discloses an apparatus for supplying sliders successively to a slider-threading station, with one flanged side of each slider body facing upwardly and with a pull tab raised perpendicularly to the slider body. The prior art apparatus includes a vertical rail for slidingly supporting on its one longitudinal edge the sliders one over another, with one flanged side of each slider body facing upwardly and with the pull tab lying flat on the slider body, and a fluid-pressurized cylinder having a pushing rod for pushing the pull tab of each slider to a raised posture while the latter is at rest at the lower end of the vertical rail. This prior art apparatus is disadvantageous in that the fluid-pressurized cylinder must be operated in timed relation to the intermittent feeding of the successive sliders, which requires meticulous adjusting. Another disadvantage of the prior art apparatus is that since the feeding of the successive sliders must be halted repeatedly, continuous and smooth feeding of the sliders is difficult to achieve. Further, because of the fluid-pressurized cylinder, this known apparatus is complex in construction and hence expensive to manufacture.